There are a number of locking mechanisms presently in the marketplace for securing the top portion to the bottom portion of a case or container. However, many of these locking systems are relatively complicated, detracting from their use over long periods of time and rendering them relatively expensive to manufacture. In addition a number of interlocking parts extend substantially beyond the surface of the case to be locked. This detracts from the ability of the case to be stacked or otherwise arranged for shipping.
Examples of these devices are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,528 issued to Jericho, entitled a "Hatch Battening Device". The Jericho patent relates to a battening device for cargo hatches employing a hydraulically operated hook for engaging a pin on the hatch. The hook member is articulated to an upper end of a link, the lower end of which is articulated to the free end of a pivotally mounted arm. The upper end of the link is slidingly guided in an essentially vertical guide member on the coaming. With this arrangement, the hook portion of the hook member, after completion of the circumscribing movement of the hook member, effects a vertical movement downward toward the hatch pin.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 2,339,537 issued to Wise and entitled "Rear Luggage Compartment Lock". The Wise patent discloses a lock that will draw the lid tightly shut and at the same time, when the lock is released, will draw up and out of the way and retreat beyond the edge of the lid. The lock operates by means of pin and cam slots effecting disengagement from the keeper member. Operation of the mechanism includes a pin moving along a curved portion of a cam and causing movement of the locking arm to a completely raised position. A substantial portion of the movement is in a plane perpendicular to the plane of a case or other elements being locked.
Applicant's invention as described herein has overcome the problems noted above. In this invention a keeper is arranged on the lower portion of the top of a case to cooperate with the lever, which is secured in the dish or recess in the bottom portion of the case. The mechanism includes a spring to bias the latch toward a disengaged position. A sliding plate having a slot therethrough circumscribes a post to define the path of movement for the plate. The lever has one end pivotally fixed to the post and another end exposed for actuation by the user. A link has one end pivotally secured to an eccentric position approximately midway along the length of the lever and its other end pivotally secured to an end of the plate remote from the slot. With this configuration, when the lever is in an open position the sliding plate is in an upward, unlocked position. As the lever is rotated clockwise, movement of the link will force the sliding plate downwardly such that the latch will be locked into the keeper. To unlock the mechanism, the lever is simply rotated in a counter-clockwise direction which effects movement of the sliding plate upwardly, permitting the latch to disengage the keeper.
The above has been a brief discussion of deficiencies in the prior art and advantages of the invention described herein. Other advantages will be appreciated by those skilled in the art from the detailed discussion of the preferred embodiment which follows.